KROZER – EP

It’s 2018 so if you’re going to make guitar music, it had better be good. Thankfully, KROZER’s creatively-titled “EP” is just that, full of brash guitar riffs and distorted vocals. The best thing about this EP is how much it jams: the type of music you would actually be willing to mosh to in a musty basement with a bunch of overactive white kids. To be frank, I have no idea what they’re saying half the time on this record, but I kind of love that too.

Opener “STRANGERS” is a headfake, clear, serene strumming giving way to a cacophony of guitars and drums; the brief bass break that opens the second verse highlights the rhythmic bass anchoring the song together. “PINK MATTER” is my personal standout. The opening notes sound like seagulls squawking beachside, before a driving guitar riff takes over, propelling the song forward. The harsh layered strumming over the chorus and ambient screaming noises approximately halfway thru the track emphasize the melody at the core of this EP. And the guitarwork on these songs is just gorgeous.

“BIGSPIN/NO VOX” is the record’s longest track, clocking in at a speedy 3:24 and serving us two songs in that span. “BIGSPIN” boasts the best singing on the record, with a plaintive missive: I could never do the shit you do. By contrast, “NO VOX,” with no vocals, letting the instrumentalists wild out in the best way. There’s a distorted lead guitar low in the mix that I’m going to be thinking about all weekend. Closer “WALK IN COOLER” has the shouted lyrics of pop punk’s heyday married to a grungier aesthetic, ending the record on a high-energy note.

In a streaming era filled with bloated albums designed to maximize revenue and RIAA certifications, it’s refreshing to listen to a record that deals exclusively in brevity; It’ll be interesting to see where KROZER take their sound in the coming year. You can stream the record on bandcamp.